Contents

Education

Born in Marseille, he is the son of Georges and Jeanine Ricard. He was educated at the Lyceums of Saint-Charles and Périer, Marseille, and Thiers (bachelor of arts). He entered the Grand Seminary of Marseille and there studied philosophy from 1962 to 1964. He spent one year of National Service of Cooperation in Bamako, Mali. He also studied at the Seminary "des Carmes," Paris and the Institut Catholique de Paris (degree in theology and habilitation for the doctorate).

Priesthood

He was ordained on 5 October 1968 in Marseille doing pastoral work in the Archdiocese of Marseille from 1968-1993. He served as vicar of the parish of Sainte-Émilie de Vialoar from 1970-1978 and was in charge of religious teaching and the formation of priests and laymen. He was responsible of the Center of Religious Culture of Mistral, 1975-1981, and the diocesan delegate for the seminarians, 1975-1985. He was the pastor of the parish of Sainte-Marguerite, 1981-1988, then delegate adjunct for ecumenism and episcopal vicar of the zone of south Marseille from 1984-1988. He was regional theologian for pastoral affairs, 1986-1993 and served as general secretary of the Diocesan Synod of Marseille, 1988-1991, and vicar general of Cardinal Robert Coffy. He was Archbishop of Marseille from 1988-1993.

Episcopate

Ricard was named titular bishop of Pulcheriopoli and appointed auxiliary bishop of Grenoble on 17 April 1993, being consecrated on June 6 1993 at the cathedral of Sainte-Marie-Majeure, Marseille, by Cardinal Robert Coffy, archbishop of Marseille. He was appointed vice-president of the Episcopal Conference, 9 November 1999 and participated in the Tenth Ordinary Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops, held in the Vatican City, 30 September-27 October 2001. He was elected president of the Conference of Bishops of France, 6 November 2001. He was promoted to the metropolitan see of Bordeaux et Bazes, 21 December 2001. He attended the 11th General Ordinary Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops, Vatican City, 2-23 October 2005.

Views

Embryonic research

Cardinal Ricard has opposed the use of human embryos for scientific research, saying that it was a grave ethical transgression. [1]

Darfur

Cardinal Ricard has supported efforts to bring peace to the Darfur region of Sudan. [2]

Euthanasia

He has been critical of attempts to legalize euthanasia in France. [3]

Traditional Mass and Lefebvrists

Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard told the newspaper "La Croix" that the Pope wants to reconcile all Catholics by allowing a wider use of the traditional Mass in Latin, and does not undermine the achievements of Vatican Council II. [4]